I was communicating with Professor Wastl about the making of runes for myself. He's evidently going to be putting in here (or someplace) a recipe for salt dough, to make runes from flour.

But while I'm waiting for that recipe to show up, I called a local craft store and found out that I can buy popsicle sticks (wooden) -- 150 for $3.00 (that is the price that the person quoted me). This is a lot less than tongue depressors!

And I really think that the wooden popsicle sticks will last longer than flour runes -- but I want to make the flour ones anyway because I like doing things like ceramics and clay and it seems like it will be a lot of fun even if it is a little messy. *halo*

Anyway, I asked him if I should post my discovery in here and he said 'yes', so here it is.

Just a note from someone who's tried the salt dough-trick often.That kind of 'bread' is very durable and it's not like it's going to rot or something like that. We've had the same salt dough things since before I was born and they're still in fine working order.

Good:8 Flour3 Salt4 WaterBake for two hours at 100 degrees, turn up to 200 degrees and bake for additionally two hours.If the things are small the time can be cut down to less.

In either recipy if it leaves gaps when you try to bend the dough add a little more water. It's like clay in that respect. If you get wek points in it while shaping they might crack in the oven and you'll have to try over.

As for what I've made.. well, an ornament with a rune (nauthiz) on actually, and other chrismas tree ornaments, angels, stars, santas, trees with a hole at the top so they can have a thread through to hang. We also made a nativity-scene out of it with little figures. Made a braided wreath too to hang on the wall. Mostly christmas things though. It's a thing we usually do at christmas-time in my family. The nativity-scene is from before I was born. A top on hair.. a garlic presser makes good hair

Here is the essay response, Assignment 1 (AR-1) by Marta Venturi(ma1176). In my reply to her (in Italy), I asked for her permission tore-print her essay in the sub-forum.

QUOTE

I've made my first set of runes this morning.I wanted to make them in a natural way, but I couldn't make them usingthe wood, so I asked myself: 'How can I make them?'Suddenly, I had a flash of inspiration.I get to the garden and I picked up some grass and sand, then I wentto to kitchen and I started making a mixture of sand, grass, flour andwater to make my runes.I made 24 little circles of that mixture and then, with the point of aknife I've written a rune for each circle.At the end, I've coloured the surface of those circle with a brilliantgreen, and I've cooked them in the oven.While they still were in the oven, I received a phone call from mybest friend, so I spoke with her and I completely forgot my runes foran hour.Then when I was passing the kitche to reach the living room I'vesuddenly remembered them, but it was late, they were completely burnt.I was going to throw them away when I had an other flash ofinspiration, so I coloured the symbols of the runes in white, livingthe rest black, and now they're good.[/quote]I asked Marta for permission to quote her here because her answer shows not only some real creativity but also a willingness to write about it in a language not "her own". I am impressed, and I hope you all will be too.Thank you, Marta..!